Indicator board



" Aug. 22, 1950 c. E. wHlTAKER INDICATOR BOARD Filed Feb. 1s, 1948 2 sheets-sheet 1 ORDERS JAN By Avvonneys.

2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INDICATOR BOARD C. E. WHITAKER LNVENTOR Avro n Nevs.

Byvwk Aug. 22, 1950 Filed Feb. 18, 1948 Patented Aug. 22, 1950 UNITED STATES PATENTy `(HFICE 'y INDICATOR BOARD Cecil Ewart Whitaker, Sheffield, England, as-

signor to William Jessop & Sons Limited, Shef'- field, England, a British company Application February 18, 194s, serial No. 9,272 In Great Britain February 28, 1946 it is an advantage to have some means for determining the state of progress oi each set ofworkpieces at any given time. Such a determination has been effected by the employment of progress control charts or progress cards, which relate tov one set of workpieces only. These have a disad` vantage in that they do not provide a comprehensive and more or lesssimultaneous indication of the state of progress of all of the sets of workpieces which is readily visible to the eye.

One of the objects of the present invention is to provide an improved form of indicator board which enables a visible indication of the state of progress of a plurality of sets of workpieces which undergo various operations duringthe course of `their manufacture readily to be obtained.

A further object is to provide an improved in'- dicator board for indicating the time progressoi items in addition to workpieces, for example, persons where a large number of personnel have to be controlled,' or articles, for example, in stores.

The indicator board provided by the present invention comprises a rectangular frame carrying at a longitudinal edge thereof a longitudinally extending panel having a plurality of longitudinally spaced guides forreceiving and detachably supporting item indicating slips in longitudinally disposed relationship, a plurality of longitudinal panels each mounted removably in the frame in transverse relation to one another and to the iirst mentioned `panel and carrying time indicating legends, the removable panels presenting collectively openings formed by a series of holes in transverse rows and longitudinally extending columns, one row of holes being provided at a position corresponding to each item indicating slip, and. the holes being adapted to detachably receive timeindicating elements, and a cursor mounted slidably on the frame for transverse vmovement vacross the front loi the removable 4 Claims. (Cl. 116-136) panels, and adapted to co-operate with the time indicating elements in indicating a time'by which a given progress of individual items is required.

The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein: v

Figure 1 is a front elevation of one form of indicatorl board in accordance with this invention and intended to be used to indicate the state of progress of the sets of Workpieces in a factory.

Figure 2 isa detailed enlarged view of the construction shown in Figure 1.

Figure r3 is a section on the line 3 3 of Figure 2.

Figures 4 and 5 are sectional views on the lines 4 4 and 5-5 respectively of Figure l.

vFigure 6 is a cross sectional end view'showing a slightly modied construction. Y v Referring nrstly to the construction shown in Figures 1 to 5 of the drawings, the indicator board there-illustrated comprises a rectangular frame lll which is intended for mounting in a vertical position upon a wall or equivalent support, the frame comprising a pair of vertical metal side members II connected at their top and bottom by metal channels I'Z and I3 respectively.

The frame is provided additionally with a back plate I4 of corresponding rectangular configuration and secured to the vchannel members I2 and I 3 by transversely extending Z-shaped members I5.

The frame is stiffened intermediate its upper and lower edges by means of a transversely extending stiffening structure indicated at i5 secured to the inner face of the back plate i4 and a transversely extending T sectioned stiffening member I'I secured at each end to the vertical members II' of the frame.

Within the frame adjacent the left hand vertical member II thereof is a longitudinally extending rectangular panel i8 which with the board in theV position illustrated extends vertically, which panel is formed of sheet metal of channel section, the flanges I S of which are brentwtowards one another* so as to leave a space 20 between the bent edge of each ange and the outer face of the panel.

The latter is further formed a short distance inwardly from each ilange with a plurality of vertically spaced forwardly extending projections 2| which form longitudinally spaced guides for supporting therebetween item indicating slips 22 convenently formed of stout paper and of a length somewhat greater than the distance between the opposed edges of the flanges I so that the slips can be engaged detachably with the guides by bending them slightly in a direction forwardly of the panel I8 and then straightening the strips s0 that their ends project into the spaces 2li aforesaid and are retained therein by engagement with the adjacent edges of the flanges I9.

The projections 2l do not extend completely up to the top of the panel I8 so asv to leave a space 23 for displaying' a suitable legend as indicated in Figure 1.

Mounted in transverse relation to one another so as completely to ll the remainder of the space in the frame between the right hand edge of the panel I8 and the right hand vertical member Il are a plurality of longitudinally extending panels 24 which with the board in the position indicated, are likewise disposed vertically, which panels comprise flat metal sheets reinforced along each of their longitudinal edges by channel shaped reinforcing members 25.

Conveniently one ofY such panels is provided for each month of the year, i. e. twelve panels in all being employed and eachof the panels are formed with holes 25' arranged in' grid formation, the holes'being so arranged that the panels 2li collectively present transversely extending rows of holes, one row corresponding to each indicating slip 2-'2 and longitudinally extending columns, each column, in the arrangement illustrated, corresponding to one particular' day of each week in the month corresponding to each panel 24. r

The upper part of each panel 2k3 is provided with a space 2l for' displaying a legend for indieating the particular' month'.

The panels 2li are mounted removably within the' frame -by forming' the base portion 28` of the uppertransverse channel sectioned frame member I2 vwith a number of transversely spaced slots,

one' of which is indicated at 2Q in' Figure 2 which allow of the panels bein-g' withdrawn individual- Iy therethrough bya vertical movement, such an arrangement permitting of the chronological order of the panels being rei-arranged as may be desired according to the time of the year or the number of the particular week days occurring during any of the months.

The holes 26 are adapted to receive detachably indicating elements' conveniently in the form of wooden pegs 36 shown in Figure Al, which pegs are coloured, one colour being assigned to each particular operation to be made upon the workpieces while the actual nature or form of the workpieces may be denoted by suitable legends on the indicating slips 22.

Each of the panels 2e may' further be provided above the uppermost row of holes 2t with further holes at positionsl corresponding one to each vertically extending column of holes for carrying detachably Y figures representingparticular dates, i.- e. the date of a particular day of the week represented by each vertical column of holes above mentioned.

Mounted for transverse movement across the front of the panels 24 is a cursor 3| in the form of a metal sheet of generally channel form in cross section as indicated in Figure 5, the cursor being mounted for slidable transverse movement in relation to the frame by providing it at its upper and lower ends with integral guide portions 32 which engage slidably with the exterior of the upper and lower frame members I2, I3 and the acl'l jacent ange of the aforesaid Z-shaped mem` bers I5.

The cursor is further provided intermediate its upper and lower ends with a transversely extending channel shaped portion 33 which embraces partially the central forwardly extending limb of the T-shaped member I1.

The sheet metal cursor 3l is formed with transversely extending rows and longitudinally extending columns of holes 34, this spacing corresponding exactly with the spacing of the holes in the panels 2li with the rows of. holes 35 in alignment with the transversely extending rows of holes in the panels 24. The amount of forward projection of the pegs 3B is s-uch that they do not interfere with the transverse sliding movement of the cursor as will be readily apparent from Figure 4..

irl utilising the indicator board above described for the control of the progress of various sets of workpiece's in a factory, the nature of each of a plurality of sets or" workpieces is indicated on the slips 22 and pegs are inserted in certain of the holes 26 in the panels 24, the positions of the pegs being determined either by the date by which a certain and desired operation (denoted by the colour of the peg) must becompleted or yby the date on which it mustactually be performed, and in each transverse row of holes 2E' there will be a number of differently coloured pegs which are spaced transversely from one another by a distan-ce which represents the time interval.

The cursor 3l is slidden horizontally to a position corresponding to a predetermined date, so that it is disposed in front of the panel 2li correponding to such date, and any pegs which remain tothe' leftV hand side of the cursor at that date indicate thatthe operation represented by such pegs was not performed on the required day or was not ready for operative performance upon that date. In this manner the indicator board enables a ready and visible indication to` be obtained of the state of progress of operations to be performed on a plurality of' sets' of workpieces which undergo various operations during the course ofY their manufacture.

At the termination of the month represented by the extreme left handA panel' 24, i. el. the termination of the month of January in the arrangement illustrated, if no pegs are left in that particular panel the month indicating legend thereon may be changed if desired, particularly if less than twelve panels 2li are provided, the legend being then changed to that of the month succeeding that depicted by the extreme right hand panel.

Pegs may further' b'e inserted within the holes 34 on the cursor to denote for example, that changes in anyV of the' operations employed in the manufacture of the workpieces have been noted and are sol shown on the indicator board.

The holes 26 in the panels 24 as Well as the holes 34 in the cursor, may be replaced by projections adapted to engage detachably and support suitable indicating elements, for example, pegs having shallow Shanks which slide over the ends of these projections.

In Figure 6 is depicted an indicating board of a similar size as the board depicted in Figures l to' 5, such board being intended for mounting upon a table and in this arrangement two boards are, in fact, provided disposed back to back, and connected together by connecting elements 35 and provided with a foot 35 for mounting the boards on a table or equivalent support. In this construction each oi the boards is constructed as shown in Figures 1 to 5, including the provision of a cursor, the two cursors being, however, omitted in the drawing. f

As illustrated the board has been shown with the longitudinally extending panels I8 and 2 extending in ra vertical direction in Figure l or in a substantially vertical direction in Figure 6, the transverse direction being horizontal but obviously the board might be turned ythrough a right angle from the `position shown in Figure 1 so that the longitudinal direction is now horizontal and the transverse direction vertical.

Although the invention has been described as applied to an indicator board for indicating the progress of a plurality of sets of workpieces which undergo various operations during the course of their manufacture it will be readily appreciated that an yindicator board in accordance with the invention may be employed with advantage in connection with, for example, other items, for instance, stores control and ycontrol of personnel, in which case the indicator slips, the indicator labels and the nature of the pegs will be determined by the application.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is: i

1. An indicator board for indicating the time progress of persons, 'articles and other items, comprising a rectangular frame carrying at one of its longitudinal edges a longitudinally extending panel having a, plurality of longitudinally spaced guides for receiving and supporting de-' movement across the front of said removable panels, said cursor being adapted to co-operate with said time indicating elements in indicating a time by which a given [progress of individual items is requred.

2. An indicator board for indicating the time progress of persons, articles and other items as defined in claim 1, wherein the panel carrying the item indicating slips comprises a metal sheet having longitudinally spaced projections formed thereon for engaging with opposite transverse edges of the slips, said sheet having also longitudinal oppositely directed flanges at its longitudinal edges adapted to receive and engage detachably the ends of the indicating slips.

3. An indicator board for indicating the time progress of persons, articles and other items as defined in claim 1, wherein the panels carrying the time indicating elements comprise metal sheets in 'which the holes formed therein are arranged in grid formation.

4. An indicator board for indicating the time progress of persons, articles and other items as defined in claim 1, wherein the cursor is mounted for transverse sliding movement on longitudinally spaced transversely extending members on the frame, said cursor having holes formed therein arranged in transverse rows and longitudinally extending columns for receiving indicating elements, said rows of holes in the cursor being aligned with the rows of holes in the board.

CECIL EWART WHITAKER.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 78,967 Hood June 16, 1868 519,130 Ludington May 1, 1894 1,340,216 Diepenbrock May 18, 1920 1,853,076 Nygaard Apr. 12, 1932 2,411,300 Southwell Nov. 19, 1946 

